Euchre

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Stonerside Stables' Congaree, smashing 5 ½-length winner of the Cigar Mile (gr. I) at Aqueduct on Nov. 30, faces a daunting task as the 121-pound high weight when he takes on 10 seasoned stakes campaigners in Saturday's $150,000 San Pasqual Handicap (Gr. II) for older horses at 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita.

Nelson Bunker Hunt's Piensa Sonando kicked home in the final furlong under the spirited urging of ageless rider Laffit Pincay Jr. to nip Fleetstreet Dancer by a nose in the $100,000 Native Diver Handicap (gr. III) at Hollywood Park Saturday.

Haskell Invitational (gr. I) winner War Emblem, who also has victories in the Kentucky Derby ( gr. I) and Preakness Stakes (gr. I) this year, was back in his stall at Del Mar Wednesday morning, and already making it known he is a candidate for the $1 million Pacific Classic (gr. I) on August 25.

Congaree, a 4-year-old son of Arazi owned by Stonerside Stable, will be trying to snap a three-year stranglehold by trainer Robert Frankel on the San Diego Handicap at Del Mar on Sunday. At the same time he could give his trainer, Bob Baffert, his first victory in the event.

The largest field in nearly 20 years was entered Wednesday for Saturday's $1 million Santa Anita Handicap (gr. I). Euchre and Milwaukee Brew, a Frank Stronach-owned entry, was made the 7-2 favorite in the 1 1/4-mile race for older horses. A field of 14 will go postward in the evenly-matched field.

Already a grade I winner on turf, Redattore added a grade II win on dirt Sunday at Santa Anita in the $250,000 San Antonio Handicap (gr. II). Under Alex Solis, Luis Alfredo Taunay's Redattore completed the 1 1/8 miles in 1:48.66 on a fast track.

The Southern California handicap division looks ripe for the taking, and following the $200,000 San Pasqual Handicap (gr. II) on Jan. 5, expect nothing but knock-down, drag-out brawls during the coming weeks. The current king of the unorganized heap is Wooden Phone, best known as the obscurely-bred gelding who shook Tiznow out of his socks a year ago in the Strub Stakes (gr. II). If you still can't picture him, don't worry. You'll be hearing plenty from him in 2002.

Nelson Bunker Hunt's Seinne will attempt to become the fourth surface switching stakes winner of the young Santa Anita meet when trainer Ron McAnally sends out the Chilean-bred in Saturday's $200,000 San Pasqual Handicap (gr. III).

He didn't have enough of it in his first stateside start, and lost all of it at the beginning of the Native Diver Handicap (gr. III), but Momentum gathered his namesake over the Native Diver's nine furlongs and proved a convincing winner of the $100,000 race at Hollywood Park Dec. 9.

With no grade I races scheduled for next weekend, trainer Bobby Frankel will have to wait before attempting to earn his 18th grade I win of the year. He will, though, have a big shot at picking up stakes win 49 of the year when he sends out Euchre in the $100,000 Native Diver Handicap (gr. III) Dec. 9.

Former American claimer Lord Sterling gave his connections a thrill as he battled for the lead on the turn for home in the first running of the Japan Cup Dirt (Jpn-I) at Tokyo Race Course on Saturday, but Ron and Susie Anson's gutty Black Tie Affair gelding was overtaken in midstretch by a pair of Japanese runners, winding up third behind Wing Arrow and Sanford City in the 1 5/16-mile event.

American runners John's Call, Timboroa, Euchre, and Lord Sterling had their first serious exercise at Tokyo race course on Thursday in preparation for the Japan Racing Association's two major group I international races: the inaugural $2.4 million Japan Cup Dirt at 1 5/16 miles on Saturday and the $4.4 million Japan Cup run at a mile and a half over the turf on Sunday.

Juddmonte Farms' Spanish Fern died Saturday evening from internal bleeding that resulted from a fractured pelvis, suffered at the start of the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (gr. IT) at Churchill Downs. The 5-year-old daughter of El Gran Senor pulled herself up shortly after the break, noticeably favoring her left hind leg.

Stronach Stable's Euchre and Stonerside Stable's Freefourracing have been scratched from Saturday's Breeders' Cup races. Euchre has been bothered by a cough and Freefourracing has a minor bruise on a hoof.